Mechanism



B. T. HARRIS.

TIME REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

No. 23,918. Patented May 10. 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

BENJAMIN T. HARRIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

MECHANISM BY WHICH EMPLOYEES REGISTER THEIR TIME.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,918, dated May 10, 1859.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN T. HARRIS, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to usecertain new and useful Improvements in Registers or Time-Indicators forDenoting the Presence or Absence of Employees or lVorkmen andRegistering Their Time of Arrival and Departure; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein Figure l, isa front view of my register. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same with aportion of the case removed and Fig. 3, is arplan of the parts below theline A, A, of Fig. 2.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

My said invention is an improvement upon Letters Patent granted to me onthe same subject August 11th, 1857, and consists in a revolvingcylinder, carrying a sheet of paper, onto. which an impression is madeby the workman or employee in such a position that the time of makingsuch register is accurately marked, thus denoting the time of leaving orarriving at work. I also make use of a peculiar indicator by which thepresence of the workman or employee, upon the premises, can be indicatedby inspection.

In the drawing a suitable case receives any proper clockwork and face B.

a, is a shaft acted on by the clockwork so that it will be revolvedevery twelve hours, or other allotted space of time, and regulate themotion of the recording cylinder D. Z), Z) are level gearing between theshaft (4 and said cylinder D, fitted with a pawl and fine ratchet wheel,so that the cylinder D,

can be revolved in putting on the paper as hereafter shown, and also inwinding up a spring barrel f that is attached to the lower end of thesaid cylinder D, and the center of this spring is retained by a squarestud on the frame 0 so that by winding up the said spring the clockworkis relieved from the power that would otherwise be required to revolvethe cylinder, leaving the clockwork only to regulate the motion. Inorder to remove the cylinder when necessary, its shaft cl, is set in aclasp joint 0, of the frame 0, and a sliding coupling 3, permits thedisconnection from the shaft 2, of the wheel 5. The surface of thecylinder, D, should be covered with india rubber or other elasticmaterial, and receive a sheet of paper around its surface that rests atits lower edge on the flange at, and the correct position of the end ofthe sheet is determined by 'age pins 5, and said sheet may be attachedby gum or otherwise although I prefer and use the binding plate (Z thatis provided with two pins 7, 7 at each end thereof from which rubberbands pass so as to draw the plate toward the paper, the pins 7, 7 setin open notches in plates 6, 6, attached to the cylinder D, and e, is alever fastened to said pins 7, 7, so that by moving the lever in onedirection one edge of the plate (Z is removed from the cylinder so thatthe paper can be entered beneath, and then wrapped around the cylinder,when on moving the lever e, the other way the end of the paper can bepassed beneath the other side of the clamping plate (Z, and be securelyheld by the point 8, 8. The paper with which the cylinder D, is coveredis to be ruled in horizontal columns corresponding to the position andnumber of the registering devices hereafter set forth, and also invertical columns of such a width that one column will equal the travelof the cylinder in one hour; each column may have finer lines to denotethe quarter hours, and each column is to be numbered with the hour.After the paper is on the cylinder as aforesaid the same is to berevolved until the spring (f) is wound up with the necessary power, andthe registering surface corresponds to the time denoted by the clock;'2'. c. the cylinder revolved until so positioned that a mark made withthe register hereafter set forth would be on the column allotted to thegiven hour, and in the position crosswise of the column corresponding tothe time that it may be past the given hour; and to aid in setting thecylinder I provide a hinged gage, 7, that can be turned up by theoperator against the side of said cylinder as seen in Fig. 8, and servesto denote the hour or other divisions, say three hours before or afterthe point at which the registration takes place.

9 is a face plate, beneath the clock face,

at the sides of which are slides to receive cards or slips with thenames of the workmen, as seen at 71,, h.

2', 2', are slides passing through the face plate 9, and sliding also inthe inner frame 9, and fitted with a key or feather to keep them fromturning, and I, are springs around said slides tending to keep themforward. From the slides 2', 2', arms 10, 10, extend to the impressionslides m, that are pointed at their ends next the cylinder D, and standin a vertical range of any suitable number corresponding to the numberof divisions provided on the paper that surrounds the cylinder D, thesame being of any suitable length according to the number of workmen, sothat whenever a workman presses on one of the slides alloted to his nameor number an impression is made on the said registering paper in thehorizontal line allotted to the said number, and in the vertical columncorresponding to the time at which the impression is made. By this meansthe actual working time is registered, in consequence of each workman oremployee being required to press in his allotted number on arriving orleaving the premises. This same device may be used for denoting the timeof passing a given point such as for a night watchman, or for anysimilar purpose wherever available.

From the ends of the slides z', 2', arms a, 12, extend horizontally ontowhich hooked and pressing pawls 0, p, are attached by pins, and 12, is aspring to each pair of pawls tending to keep their ends toward a fourpointed ratchet 11, on the roller Z. (See Fig. 5.) Each slide 2', beingthus fitted, and the rollers Z, corresponding in number and positionwith said slides z, are seen through openings in the case plate as at k,70, and the rollers Z, are revolved once for each four times the slidesz' are pressed in, and being painted on their surfaces alternately blackand red or other dissimilar colors said colors appear through theopenings is, and indicate on inspection whether the workman or employeeis in or not, the black color appearing when he presses the slide uponleaving, and then the other color appearing when he returns and againpresses his slide.

Having thus described my said invention I do not herein claim theindication of the presence or absence of employees or workmen by theexhibition of dissimilar surfaces behind an opening, that being securedby the aforesaid patent, neither do I claim the cylinder D in itselfupon which a registration is effected but being also found in the saidpatent, but

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- 1. The manner of mounting the cylinder 1), on the spring barrel 7",and with the connecting coupling 3, for the purposes and as specified.

2. I claim the binding plate cZ, fitted and acting as specified toretain the ends of the paper to the cylinder D for the purposes and asset forth.

3. I claim the arrangement and manner of constructing the slides z, z,and impression points m, m, for the purposes specified.

4. I claim the rollers Z, and their pawls 0 and 77, in connection withthe slides i, and openings (70) in the front plate (g) for the purposesset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this twenty ninthday of March, 1859.

BENJ. T. HARRIS. lVitnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, THOMAS G. HAROLD.

